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Monrovia — The arrest of Liberian Sekou Kamara on March 26 in New York didn’t solely add to the variety of Liberian warlords booked for mendacity to U.S Immigration Service in an try to cover their horrible previous, the newest motion of the united statesGovernment additionally sign to what extent the Biden administration is keen to go in bringing to guide human rights abusers and corrupt officers in Liberia.
Kamara was allegedly a basic of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a insurgent group that was liable for 12 p.c of the atrocities documented by the Liberian Reality and Reconciliation Fee in its 2010 ultimate report. The nation’s brutal civil wars that ran from 1989 by means of 2003 killed greater than 250,000 Liberians and displaced a whole lot of 1000’s extra.
Nonetheless, Kamara, notoriously referred to as “Basic Dragon Grasp,” like different gamers earlier than him was not arrested for these crimes. He was charged with mendacity to U.S. immigration authorities on his utility to enter america and utilizing an illegally acquired inexperienced card to acquire different paperwork. The legal grievance in opposition to Kamara was submitted to the Jap District of Pennsylvania, which has pursued different Liberian warfare criminals.
Immigration violations have been used earlier than to carry perpetrators of atrocities to justice. Mohammed Jabbateh, a battalion commander within the United Liberation Motion of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), was discovered responsible in a Pennsylvania courtroom for immigration fraud and perjury after mendacity about his wartime previous in an asylum utility. The warlord, generally referred to as “Jungle Jabbah,” was sentenced to thirty years in jail in 2018.
The late Jucontee Thomas Woewiyu, who was a prime official in Charles Taylor’s Nationwide Patriotic Entrance of Liberia (NPLF), was convicted in 2020 of mendacity on his U.S. immigration kinds about his ties to warfare criminals.
Whereas Kamara will not be the primary Liberian warlord to be arrested, his apprehension comes on the time the Biden’s administration has made the battle in opposition to corruption and impunity on a world scale has a serious international coverage precedence. That stance is already being felt in Liberia.
In December 2021, Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, a former warlord, was sanctioned by america below the International Magnitsky Act, the sweeping laws that authorizes sanctions in opposition to any particular person considered to have violated human rights or engaged in corruption.
It was a impolite awakening for the Nimba County sturdy man, who prides himself because the “God Father” of his native county and a “King Maker” when the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia dropped the bombshell – labeling him as a corrupt official massively benefiting from authorities funds by means of a pay-for-play scheme with authorities ministries.
As a part of the scheme, based on the U.S. authorities, upon receiving funding from the Authorities of Liberia, the concerned authorities ministries and organizations launder a portion of the funding for return to the concerned individuals.
The one-time fierce warlord, identified for brutally killing ex-President Samuel Ok. Doe, and a serious opposition to the institution of warfare crimes courtroom in Liberia, was compelled to resign as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Nationwide Safety, Protection, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs after the U.S. Embassy expressed disappointment within the Liberian Senate for his preferment.
In December 2020, america sanctioned Senator Harry Varney Sherman, a former Chairman of Liberia’s ex-ruling get together, for his involvement in a bribery scheme.
The Treasury Division accused the Grand Cape Mount County Senator of facilitating bribery inside the Judiciary for judges to grant ruling in his purchasers’ favor and in some occasion paid bribe to facilitate the removing of an Affiliate Justice of the Supreme Court docket – Justice Kabineh Ja’neh – who had dominated in opposition to him.
Because the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other officers for Russia’s unlawful warfare in opposition to Ukraine, its radar is ever current over Liberia.
U.S. officers together with attorneys, members of Congress, and U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy have made it clear that they intend to pursue all people suspected of undermining the rule of legislation or partaking in corruption in Liberia, each previous and current.
Congress Decision H. Res. 907, launched in February, reaffirmed the U.S. dedication to help progress towards transparency, accountable establishments, and different tenets of fine governance in Liberia.
The Laws particularly implores the White Home to “proceed to impose focused sanctions and different measures in opposition to these liable for undermining the rule of legislation in addition to the religion and belief of the Liberian folks by means of the conduct of corruption, gross violations of human rights, and different acts that threaten the peace and safety of Liberia.”
Observers imagine this might goal different people instantly cited by the Reality and Reconciliation Report, together with Benoni Urey, the political chief of the All Liberian Get together (ALP) and former Warlord and present Grand Gedeh County Consultant, Dr. George S. Boley.
Urey was listed as a Specifically Designated Nationwide (SDN) by the Treasury till 2015 for his involvement in cash laundering and unlawful arms buying and selling.
Urey is accused of taking part in a fancy recreation in his effort to evade accountability for his wartime actions. He stands accused of spearheading doubtful authorized prices in opposition to his political opponents in an effort to maneuver himself again right into a place of energy and disingenuously declared his help for a Liberian warfare crimes courtroom.
He as soon as declared in protection of his patron Charles Taylor, “Allow them to free Taylor or carry everybody to jail; we had a warfare in Liberia and one individual didn’t commit all atrocities. Lots of people did and if one individual can face justice, why not the remaining?”
Final yr, Newsweek wrote that Urey is solely hopping “from one bandwagon to the following, hoping he won’t ever attain an actual courtroom of worldwide legislation.”
For Dr. Boley, he at present enjoys a hefty wage and allowances whereas representing Grand Gedeh County Second Electoral District. His insurgent faction, the Liberia Peace Council (LPC) was liable for 11 p.c of the crimes dedicated in the course of the civil warfare, in accordance the TRC in its ultimate report.
Whereas warfare perpetrators like Senator Johnson, Rep. Boley and Mr. Urey could also be evading justice as a consequence of Liberia’s lackadaisical posture in direction of the institution of a warfare and financial crimes courtroom, the arrest of Sekou Kamara, and sanctions in opposition to Senators Johnson and Sherman present how far the Biden administration is keen to go in bringing to guide human rights abusers and corrupt officers.
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